Leg-rest for chairs.



No. (548,"0. Patented A r. 24, woo. c. w. McCALL.

LEG BEST FOR CHAIRS.

(Appflcation filed Feb. 26, 1900.) (No Model.)

"lllll Ill.-

ms, Nonms PETERS cc, PHOTO-L fl'HO WASNINCITON, a. c.

NITED STATES anion.

ATENT LEG-REST FOR cHAiRs SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,1 10, dated April 24, 1900'.

Application filed February 26, 1900. Serial No.'6,600. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. MCCALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Brooine and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leg-Rests for Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

For chairs I have produced an improvement in leg-rests of that kind which is supported by pivoted rack-bars and adapted to be re tracted beneath the seat; and the object of my improvement is to provide a safe automatic locking device for the rest when in use and in which provision is made whereby the unlocking function of said device is effected by the cooperation of the pivoted rack-bars which support the rest when the latter is to be retracted. In this interlocking function the lifting of the rack-bars to bring them into position to be retracted by and with the rest brings them into engagement with the looking devices and effects the unlocking of the leg-rest, and this isone of the features of my invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the novel construction which I have designed and which I shall specifically set out in the claims.

In Figure l of the drawings the chair is shown with the leg-rest as it is supported in extended longitudinal section and locked at its pivotal hook connections with the frame. Fig. 2 shows a like view in which the supporting rack-bars of the leg-rest are shown in their function of engaging and unlocking the pivotal hookconnections of the leg-rest to allow it to be retracted. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the leg-rest retracted. Fig. 4 is a front view of the pivotal hook connection as locked, and Fig. 5 is alike view With the hook device unlocked by the rack-bar. Fig. 6 shows the hook and its pivoted locking-latch. Fig. 7 shows the pivoted rack-bars of the leg-rest. Fig. 8 shows, enlarged, the leg-rest as retracted and supported by the rack-bar and the latch; and Fig. 9 shows the leg-rest locked with the roll-studs of the chairlegs.

The chair-frame may be of any suitable construction and the back hinged and supportedin any suitable way. Beneath the seatbottom is a bottom 1, which does not extend to the front of the seat and which forms a support for the rear end of the leg-rest 2 in retracting and in withdrawing it. On the inner sides of the front legs beneath the seat are mounted small roll-studs 3 3, on which the leg-rest is supported in retracting and in .withdrawing it and with which novel hooklatch devices on the leg-rest are caused to en- 'gage and be locked when the latter is withdrawn. These hook devices 4 are secured to the side edges of the foot-rest and project from its inner end, inclining toward its under side with the hooks standing outward, so that they rest upon and engage the roll-studs when the rest is withdrawn, asin Figs. 2 and 9. The downward inclining of these hooks causes the inner end of the rest to be raised as it is drawn out and supported at thefront edge of the seat, as in Fig. l,while in retracting the rest the downward inclination of the hooks allows the leg-rest as it is pushed in on the rolls to fall sufficiently to permit the rest to be slid inward under the seat. In this pushing in of the leg-rest, its hooks rise easily on the rolls, and, passing off the rolls, the rest itself slides inward on the rolls, which serve to support the outer end of the rest, as in Fig. 3.

Provision is made whereby the inner end of the leg-rest is supported upon the lower bottom, as I will presently state.

. I Rack-bars 5 5, preferably of U shape, are

pivotally connected to the under side of the leg-rest so as to stand inward and to be free to rise and fall between the hooks and to engage a bar 6 transversely in the chair-legs to support the leg-rest at the desired inclination.

For locking the leg-rest when in use I provide each hook with a latch 7, which is pivoted to the hook at a point between the hook end proper and the end of the rest, so that the free endsof the latches will hang in position to ride upon the rolls and fall in front of and in contact with them when the leg-rest is drawn out, and thereby lock the hooks to the rolls, so that it is impossible for the leg-rest to work off the rolls, as in Figs. 1 and 9. In this locking action the latches are automatic, and to render such locking action sure they may be weighted or otherwise held down. The

locking ends of the latches stand inward and form abutments which safely lock the hooks by closing their open ends upon the rolls, and to hold the latches in their locking positions against the rolls they are provided with lugs -or lips 8, which engage the upper edges of the hook-arms and form stops to limit the descent of the latches upon the rolls and in position to close the hooks, as in Figs. 1 and 9. Another function of these latches is to support the inner end of the leg-rest when retracted upon the rack-bars, and this I do by providing the latch at its pivoted end with a finger 9 and a pin 10 on the inner side of the hookarm at its lower edge in front of the roll-stud, so that in retracting the leg-rest the acting ends of the latches will rest upon the rackarms, the cross connecting-bar of which will rest and slide upon the lower bottom, and the finger of the catch resting upon the pin of the hook-arm will thereby cause the inner end of the leg-rest to be supported upon the rackbars, thereby keeping the leg-rest in parallel relation to the seat, as in Figs. 3 and 8. In this function the hook-arms, the latches, and the rack-bars constitute a feature of my invention, whereby the connected rack-bars are utilized as the means of supporting the inner end of the leg-rest, while the rolls support its outer end.

The rack-bars have another function which forms a feature of my invention and that is, when the rack-bars are raised to place them in position to he slid with the leg-rest back within the space between the two chair-bottoms, the bars are brought into contact with and simultaneously lift the latches above and freeof the rolls, and thereby automatically unlock the hooks so that they can be pushed off the rolls as in Fig. 2.

In drawing out the leg-rest the rack-bars drop ofi the front end of the lower bottom into engagement with the cross-bar and the latches ride on the rolls and drop in front of them as the hooks engage the rolls, and thereby cause the latches to automatically lock the hooks with the rolls'at the same time the rackbar drops.

In Fig. 5 I have shown one of the rack-bars in its raised position and the latch 7 lifted thereby, so as to pass off the roll in pushing in the leg-rest, and as both rack-bars raise both latches at the same time there is no hindrance in pushing the leg-rest back.

\Vhile I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the details of construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1. In a chair having its front legs provided with studs, a leg-rest having hook-arms at its inner end adapted to engage said studs, and means for supporting the leg-rest when ex tended, in combination with a latch device pivoted to each of said arms whereby to secure the hook ends upon the studs.

2. In a chair having its front legs provided with studs, a leg-rest having hook arms at its inner end adapted to engage said studs and means for supporting the leg-rest-when extended, in combination with a latch device pivoted to each of said arms and having a lug adapted to engage the hook-arm whereby to limit the descent of the latch to secure the hooks upon the studs.

3. In a chair having its front legs provided with studs, a leg-rest having hook-arms at its inner end adapted to engage said studs, in combination with a latch device pivoted to each of said arms having a lug adapted to en gage the hook-arm whereby to limit the dcscent of the latch to secure the hooks upon the studs, a finger at the pivoted end of the latch, and a pin on the hook-arm adapted to engage the latch-finger to limit the ascent of the latch and pivoted rack-bars adapted to disengage the latches from the studs and means whereby the rack-bars may support the leg-rest in the way described.

4. In a chair having its front legs provided with studs, a leg-rest having hook-arms at its inner end adapted to engage said studs, in combination with a latch device pivoted to each of said arms for locking the hook ends upon the studs, each latch having'a finger at its pivoted end engaging a pin on the hookarms, in combination with pivoted rack-bars adapted to engage the latches and by means of the latter and the rack-bars support the inner end of the leg-rest and the lower chairbottoin which atfords support tothe rack-bars.

5. In a chair having its front legs provided with studs, in combination with a leg-rest having hook-arms adapted to engage said studs, latches pivoted to said arms and adapted to lock the hook ends upon the studs and means whereby both said latches are simultaneously disengaged from the hooks to retract the leg-rest.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES WV. MCOALL. \Vitn esses:

FREDERIC W. MoCALL, E. O. Moonv. 

